Broomfields Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in the caring environment of this happy school. They thoroughly enjoy learning and they value their education.

Pupils achieve highly. They work with tenacity and resilience to meet the ambitious goals that the school sets for their achievement.

During lessons and at social times, pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Pupils build incredibly positive relationships with one another and with staff. They listen attentively, show respect and give their utmost when completing work. Classrooms buzz with purposeful learning.

Pupils encourage each other to be the best that they can be and to 'dream big'.

Pupils, including those with special... educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), participate fully in school life. For instance, the school provides an extensive variety of sports and musical activities.

It ensures that pupils have the chance to seize every opportunity to learn something new.

Pupils relish the many opportunities on offer to develop their talents and interests. For example, they take part in a wide range of clubs.

Pupils can also choose to be part of the school's citizenship award. They leave the school at the end of Year 6 as thoughtful and knowledgeable individuals. The school prepares pupils well to embrace the challenges of the next stage of their education.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has established an ambitious vision for the high-quality education that it provides for pupils. The trust and local governing board challenge and support the work of the school very well. The school thinks carefully about the knowledge that pupils should learn and when subject content will be taught.

This enables staff to know the important building blocks of information that pupils need to know and remember.

Teachers deliver the curriculum well. Professional development through the trust's hubs supports staff to develop strong subject knowledge.

Staff design activities that help pupils to learn subject content well. In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies carefully to check that pupils learn all that they should. However, in a small number of subjects, the assessment methods that staff use to check what pupils know and remember over time are not as well established.

On occasion, this prevents teachers from successfully building on pupils' learning and identifying any gaps that pupils have in their knowledge.

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum. Pupils enjoy times when their teachers read to them.

They relish opportunities to be immersed in high-quality literature. Pupils become avid readers. This supports their learning across the curriculum, including their understanding and appreciation of a range of cultures.

However, a small number of pupils who struggle with their reading are not supported as well as they should be in the application of their phonics knowledge. This hampers the progress that they make in becoming fluent readers.

The school identifies and understands the additional needs of pupils with SEND exceptionally well.

It works diligently and expertly to remove obstacles to pupils' learning, while not expecting less of anyone. The school ensures that extra support sessions are well designed and implemented. As a result of the school's skilful work, pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

The school has high expectations of pupils' attendance and punctuality. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers that may prevent pupils from attending school as often as they should. Pupils were eager to explain the school's attendance league challenge to inspectors.

Pupils are rarely absent from school.

Pupils maintain the highest standards of conduct. They are friendly and polite, eager to offer a cheery greeting to anyone that they meet as they travel around school.

The school makes sure that pupils understand and follow well-established routines.

The provision to support pupils' personal development is exceptional. With great enthusiasm, pupils take part in an array of wider opportunities, such as educational visits, which help to enhance their learning.

These include residential visits and trips to historical sites. The schools 'our world, my world' project gives pupils the opportunity to learn about each other's differences, cultural beliefs and challenges. This gives the pupils a remarkable understanding of those around them.

The trust and the local governing board fully understand their roles and responsibilities. They carry these out effectively. There are clear systems in place for the trust to assure themselves of the quality of pupils' experiences.

Through the trust's hubs, there is a constant focus on improvement and innovation.

Teachers appreciate the way in which the school engages with them when making decisions that could affect their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the assessment strategies that the school uses to check what pupils know and can do are not as well developed as in other curriculum areas. This means that, on occasion, gaps in pupils' knowledge and vocabulary are missed. The school should refine its approach to assessment in these subjects, so that teachers better identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge.

• A small number of pupils at an early stage of learning to read are not supported effectively to catch up. This hinders how well some of these pupils develop their reading fluency. The school should ensure that staff receive further training and guidance to better support these pupils to catch up with their peers as quickly as possible.

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